


The Morning Before

by Nyx93



Series: Dream Team Oneshots (Three Weird Friends) [4]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: AU, Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Boys Will Be Boys, Dadza, Found Family, Gen, How Do I Tag, I just love their dynamic, Im a sucker for it, Lmanberg - Freeform, Manberg Festival, Nightmares, Oneshot, Running Away, Slight Angst in the beginning, Sneaking Out, Tommy and Tubbo are best friends, but in a weirdly cool way, dont worry, i do not take constructive criticism, i still hate him, if tommy and tubbo had run away before the festival, jschlatt is kind of a dick, like to blow stuff up, mentions of philza, nothing too bad though, please someone get these kids a dad, technoblade the farmer, wilbur is a jd kinnie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:14:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27091066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nyx93/pseuds/Nyx93
Summary: The screams grew louder and louder, up to the point where Tubbo had to physically cover his ears. Wilbur did nothing, most likely not even noticing the boy below him.Tubbo couldn’t stand the noise, and managed to get himself to his feet. He took his hands off his ears, and balled them at his side, the screams of innocents growing and growing.“You’re not a hero, Wilbur!” The boy shouted over all of the noise. “You’re a villain!”Or;What if Tommy and Tubbo had run away the morning of the festival. After all, no Tubbo would mean no speech, and no speech means no explosion. (That may be some flawed logic on the boys part, but they are just children, after all.)
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s), Toby Smith | Tubbo & Jschlatt, Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, Toby Smith | Tubbo & Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit
Series: Dream Team Oneshots (Three Weird Friends) [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1799821
Comments: 7
Kudos: 643





	The Morning Before

**Author's Note:**

> I started this oneshot before the festival, so obviously some things don't line up to what actually happened, so I'm calling this something similar to canon divergence. This story mainly focuses on Tubbo and his relationship with others, and it's something of a character study, so please let me know whether or not you think this is accurate! 
> 
> Also, according to Ao3 statistics, only about 10 percent of you are subscribed/following me. So if you like this fic, please consider giving me Kudos and leaving comments, its free, and you can always undo it later. Anyway, enjoy the fic!

Tubbo lay deep in a dreamless sleep, just as he had been for the past couple of nights. This would be normal, if you didn’t know that he dreamed almost every night, and remembered them each time he woke up. 

But, ever since Wilbur had told him the truth, about what was planned for the fate of Manberg, he hadn't had a single dream. Tubbo supposed it was better to not have dreams in lieu of having nightmares, but it always made him wake up unfulfilled and exhausted.

He had no trouble falling asleep the night before the festival, slipping into unconsciousness fairly easily the moment his head hit the pillow. This night was a little different, however. Rather than his usual nothingness, Tubbo became _acutely_ aware of the fact that he wasn’t dreaming. It was a strange feeling, one just on the cusp of lucid dreaming; it was almost like a lucid unconsciousness. 

Tubbo decided to imagine himself with his friends; it was where most of his dreams took place, anyway. Slowly, he pictured each and every one of his friends in his consciousness, and one by one, they appeared in front of him. 

They were outside on a hilltop, a blanket spread out below them where they sat. Tommy was on Tubbo’s right, smiling as his mouth moved, but no words came out. He seemed to be trying to speak, unaware that Tubbo couldn’t hear him, so the dreamer simply nodded his head in agreement.

That seemed to please Tommy, as he gave his friend a quick, gentle punch in the arm, a grin spread across his face. Tubbo returned the smile, then turned to his left side. There was Wilbur, who looked better than ever. Gone were the dark circles from countless sleepless nights, gone were the hints of insanity and desperation in his eyes, and gone was any malicious undertones in his wide smile.

Wilbur was there, and he looked happy! 

This was one of the best dreams Tubbo had in a while. He let his head rest against Wilbur’s shoulder, who then began to pet the young boy’s head affectionately. The wind blew gently, the cool air rippling against Tubbos' clothes and hair.

He felt a pull at his sleeve, and looked to see Tommy chattering happily, pointing down below the hill, encouraging his friend to take a look. Tubbo craned his neck slightly, not keen on losing the position he was laying in so soon. 

At the base of the hill, he could make out the presidential stage, where Schlatt had been sworn into office. Tubbo could see the man in question, standing atop the stage, giving a speech that the boy couldn't hear. He noticed Quackity by the President’s side, along with Georgenotfound, a rare appearance within Manberg territory. 

“They’re giving a speech.” Tubbo heard himself say. Despite not being able to hear anyone else, his voice broke through the silence loud and clear. 

Wilbur nodded, looking longingly at the stage below. Tubbo felt the strong urge to run down and be at President Schlatt’s side, but he waved those thoughts away as quickly as they came. No, he never belonged down there, he was right where he needed to be.

At Tommy and Wilbur’s side. 

Tubbo sighed contentedly, leaning his head back up against Wilbur’s side, and closed his eyes. If all his dreams were this pleasant-

Screams of terror interrupted his thoughts, with Tubbo opening his eyes quickly to see the once clear blue sky become a dark red, with ashy gray clouds scattering the distance. He jumped off Wilbur as if he were on fire, and looked down the hill towards the screams.

There was the Presidential Stage, or at least, what was left of it. The area had become nothing more than a crater in the ground, tall wisps of fire scattering the grass below. The screams grew louder, as continuous explosions occurred below. Within seconds, the entire ground surface was blanketed by a thick cloud of smoke, the screams getting louder, despite the absence of any people. 

“What happened?!” Tubbo cried, leaning close to the edge of the hill where he sat. The heavy winds picked up, carrying his voice across the landscape and echoing back into his mind.

“Do you hear it, Tubbo?” Wilbur’s voice asked from behind him. Tubbo turned to see Wilbur, no longer seated next to him, but towering over instead. A smile decorated his face, but the most disturbing part about it was how _genuine_ it was.

“Do you hear them below us?” Wilbur asked again, looking into the distance. The smile still sat on his face casually, as though he were talking about nothing more than a brunch idea. “They’re cheering for me, they’re laughing in celebration.”

Tubbo looked up at him, a sense of terror dawning over him. “They’re screaming, Wil! They’re crying and they’re hurt!” He could barely hear his own voice now, the screams growing so loud in volume that he heard he may go deaf.

“I’m a hero, Tubbo.” Wilbur smiled at him, still looking down at the ‘masterpiece’ he created below him. The young boy looked around wildly, hoping to find Tommy to get him to talk some sense into Wilbur.

He didn't find him. Instead, in place of where Tommy sat seconds earlier, was a small, broken music disc. Tears overwhelmed him, flowing down his face like a cascade, his vision blurring in and out of focus. 

The screams grew louder and louder, up to the point where Tubbo had to physically cover his ears. Wilbur did nothing, most likely not even noticing the boy below him.

Tubbo couldn’t stand the noise, and managed to get himself to his feet. He took his hands off his ears, and balled them at his side, the screams of innocents growing and growing. “You’re not a hero, Wilbur!” The boy shouted over all of the noise. “You’re a villain!” 

The screams stopped, the newfound silence deafening their entire surroundings. Wilbur looked on, turning his head away from the boy. The two just stood there quietly, Tubbo breathing heavily as the tears slowly stopped falling.

“No, Tubbo. You’re wrong.” Wilbur sighed, as though he were explaining an easy math problem to a young child. He said it so confidently, and so calmly, that Tubbo hesitated calling him out again. 

Wilbur turned towards the boy, and Tubbo almost screamed. Where Wilbur’s face used to be was now his own, contorted into an angry expression that Tubbo would never wear himself.

The scene around him began to collapse in chunks, the black nothingness getting closer and closer with each step Wilbur-Tubbo took. “You’re the villain, Tubbo.” 

This was no dream. This was a nightmare. 

_“Tubbo, wake up!”_ A harsh whisper shook the boy, as he opened his eyes abruptly. Tubbo looked around, hyperventilating slightly. He was no longer in his dream sequence, but rather back in his own bed. Above him stood Tommy, his hand resting on Tubbo’s shoulder as if he was trying to wake up.

“Tommy?” Tubbo shook his head, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with a balled fist. They felt raw from crying, his cheeks still wet and stained from earlier. 

“I was trying to wake you, it looked like you were having a nightmare.” Tommy explained, looking around sheepishly. It was still dark outside, the sun barely rising over the horizon. 

Tubbo shook his head and he brought his hand down away from his face. “Yeah, but I’m okay.” He looked at Tommy, who was dressed with a dark colored jacket on his shoulders, and a duffle bag in his hand. “What’s going on? Is it time for the festival yet?” 

“No, Tubbo. We’re leaving.” Tommy answered quickly, urging Tubbo to get out of bed. He began rummaging through Tubbo’s stuff, until he eventually found an old, slightly used backpack. Like clockwork, Tommy unzipped the bag, then continued rummaging through the boys stuff (which would normally be an invasion of privacy, but Tubbo didn’t mind.),

“Wait, we’re leaving right now?” Tubbo asked, wondering if he had heard his friend correctly. Tommy rolled his eyes, and handed Tubbo the old backpack, who opened it up to make sure it was empty.

Tommy had pitched his plan to Tubbo a couple hours prior, on how the two of them would leave before the festival started. That way, Tubbo couldn’t make his speech, and Wilbur wouldn’t get the code word to blow the place up. It wasn’t the best plan, but it was the only plan they had. 

“Yeah, right now. Start packing your things.” Tommy instructed, his eyes shifting towards the door nervously, as though someone were about to barge in at any moment. Tubbo highly doubted that it would happen, considering it was around six am, and most sane people were still asleep. 

“But it’s so early.” Tubbo complained, begrudgingly getting up off his bed. He stretched his arms out with a yawn, looking around for one of his jackets. In the dark he could make out Tommy rummaging through his chests, and shoving as much as he could into a bag. 

“We have to get out of Manberg before anyone sees us.” Tommy explained, handing over more stuff for Tubbo to put in his own backpack. He obeyed the silent order, and put his own stuff into a bag. 

The youngster turned towards Tommy, a curious look in his eye. “Where will we go?” He asked carefully, zipping up his bag as he slung it over his shoulder. The two of them made their way out of the house, with Tubbo closing the door behind him. 

“Somewhere no one will find us.” Tommy began, leading the trek down the path and away from Manberg. “Somewhere safe.” 

The two of them walked in silence for a while, making their way out of Schlatt’s dominion, and eventually found themselves near the outskirts of Pogtopia. Tubbo halted for a moment, right by the secret entrance in the hill.

Wilbur would still be sleeping, getting ready for his big day later. He would decimate the entire nation with tnt, and there would be nothing left. No matter how hard Tommy and Tubbo tried to convince him it wasn't worth it, Wilbur wouldn't listen.

It made Tubbo sad, he didn’t want the last time he saw Wilbur to have been because of a disagreement. They were right there; he could sneak into Pogtopia and wish Wilbur and Techno goodbye, maybe even leave them a note or something. 

“We have to keep moving, Tubbo.” Tommy sighed, having followed Tubbo’s gaze into the flat hillside. 

“But Wilbur…” Tubbo trailed off, stepping closer to the hidden entrance. He was so close, maybe one last time he could try to convince Wilbur of another way…

Tommy held the boy back, gripping him tightly by the sleeve of his jacket. “I know. I know, Tubbo.” He grimaced, pulling his friend away from the hill. “But we have to keep moving.”

Tubbo sighed, eventually giving in to his friend's words. A small part of him realized that Tommy was right; there was no way the two of them could talk Wilbur down from his crazy plan, it was too late.

The most they could do was leave, maybe cause enough confusion to delay the inevitable destruction of their once home. 

The two young boys continued on, leaving the entrance of Pogtopia, and heading deeper into the uncharted territory of the revolutionaries' land. Technoblade had mapped out the area, intending to expand his potato farm to above ground, but neither Tommy or Tubbo were familiar with the lay of the land.

The sun had only just begun peeking over the horizon, filling the sky with its orange light. They had finally reached what seemed to be the end of Pogtopia’s borders, far enough away from anyone who may want to do them harm.

Or so they thought. 

“What are you two doing all the way out here?” A deep voice asked from behind them.

Tommy and Tubbo froze in place, paralyzed with fear and confusion. The footsteps behind them grew louder as the figure approached closer, eventually circling in front of them to the point where the two boys’ path was blocked.

Tommy reached for his sword slowly, as the figure stood in front of them. “It’s a little too early for you guys to be up and about, don't you think?” The man asked curiously, inspecting the two of the boys from head to toe. 

“Move aside, Technoblade.” Tommy growled, pulling out his sword, pointing it directly to the older man. “We’re leaving, and you can’t stop us.”

“I never intended to.” Techno shrugged, raising his hands in surrender. “All I did was ask you both a question.”

“What are you doing here, Technoblade?” Tubbo asked cautiously, silently urging Tommy to put down his weapon. “Are you following us?”

Techno shot the two boys a curious look. “I am a farmer, you know. I rise with the sun, and right now, the two of you are standing right where my crops are.”

Tubbo lifted up one foot instinctively as he inspected the ground. Sure enough, he could make out tiny little stems sprouting up from the ground. 

“We’re sorry, Techno. But we have to leave.” Tommy stated firmly, holding his weapon firmly in hand. Tubbo couldn’t tell if his friend was apologizing for stepping on the crops or not, but it didn’t seem to matter. 

Techno looked at the rising sun, his face expressionless. “You’re going to miss the festival.” He stated calmly, his voice and tone carefully even. His pink braided hair swayed slightly in the wind, and the crown atop his head glimmered in the rising sunlight. 

“ _Please_ , don’t tell Wilbur.” Tubbo pleaded, approaching Techno carefully. Tommy gave the boy a look, as if warning him not to get too close to the farmer. 

Techno blinked, as if he hadn't heard Tubbo’s request. “Where are you two planning on going, anyway?” He asked curiously, looking over Tubbo’s shoulder towards Tommy, his voice without a hint of malevolence. 

Tubbo was about to respond, before Tommy stepped in front of him, shielding him away from Techno as if he were a dangerous animal. “Wouldn’t you like to know.” He hissed defensively, holding his sword out with a tighter grip. 

Tubbo feared for a moment that Technoblade would get angry, but instead, the older man just let out a small laugh. “Alright, alright. I suppose it really isn't any of my business. I won’t get in your way.” 

He stepped aside, his hands crossed over his chest casually. “Just be careful, you two. And don’t stay away too long, or I might actually start to miss you guys.” There was a look in his eye, almost unnoticeable at first, but it looked to be… sadness. 

Tubbo couldn’t stop himself, he ran towards the man and tackled him into a hug. “I’ll miss you too, Techno!” He cried, tears already steaming down his face and leaking into the man’s shirt.

Techno gave the young brunette an affectionate pat on the head, probably the closest he would get to showing any extreme emotions. Tommy approached Techno carefully, looking as though he wanted to say something, but kept his mouth shut. 

“Please tell Wilbur that I’m sorry.” Tubbo sniffled, pulling away from Technoblades' (now soaked) t-shirt. Tommy nodded in agreement, his face slightly red-looking from the morning sun. The blonde held out his hand for the farmer to shake, which he gladly did. 

“I will.” Techno promised, letting go of Tommy’s hand and bringing his own to his side. “Now get out of here, you two scoundrels. You’ve got a long journey ahead of you, I can tell.” He pushed the two boys gently, as though encouraging them to keep moving. 

Tubbo waved goodbye as the two boys continued deeper into the unknown. “Bye Technoblade! Stay safe!” The brunette called out, to which Techno waved back.

Eventually, the farmer disappeared out of sight, and the two boys continued further into the world. They continued in silence, the sun rising further above the ground with each passing moment.

“Are we almost there?” Tubbo asked tiredly. The two boys had been walking for a couple hours now, having only taken a break to eat a quick meal. The brunette’s feet were getting tired, his legs feeling like they may fall off at any moment.

“Almost.” Tommy answered, glancing down at the map in his hands. Tubbo stole a quick glance at it, hoping to figure out how close ‘almost’ actually was. (The glance was to no avail, as it didn’t occur to Tubbo until just then that he didn’t know how to read a map.)

The Festival should be starting soon, according to how high above them the sun was. Wilbur and Schlatt were probably looking for the two of them by now, hopefully not accusing each other of sabotaging their great plans. 

Maybe Quackity would give a speech instead of him, Tubbo thought to himself. Or maybe his disappearance would actually get George to appear at the festival, instead of having him accidentally sleep in. 

“Look, Tubbo, we’re almost there.” Tommy grinned, pointing a finger at the map, and then directly in front of him. “All we have to do is cross the river, and then the house should be right there.” 

Tubbo let out a sigh of relief. “Finally.” He said aloud. Tommy let out a laugh, it was no shock that the blonde was as relieved as him to finally be at a safe point for them to get some rest. 

The two made it over the hill, and saw the moving river just ignorant of them. And beyond that, in the distance, was their destination; a house.

“C’mon Tubbo, lets go!” Tommy cheered, rushing down the hill ata rapid pace. It seems the reality of their destination being within their sight had given the blonde a rush of energy. 

Tubbo let out a carefree laugh, as the two of them raced down the hill side by side, their bags hitting up against their legs. The two of them stopped short just at the edge of the river, the clear water rushing past them. 

“C’mon Tubbo, don’t tell me you’re going to stop now.” Tommy teased, already submerging the lower part of his body in the water, holding his duffle bag high above his head to prevent it from getting wet.

Tubbo smiled as he stepped foot into the river. The cold water rushed up against his leg and thought the material of his pants. After making it a little less than halfway, Tubbo removed the backpack off his shoulders and he too, held it above his head. 

At the halfway mark, the water was about halfway to Tubbo’s shoulder, only just reaching the middle of Tommy’s chest. There wasn’t a day that went by that the brunette wasn’t slightly jealous of his friend’s taller height, but he digressed, continuing on. 

Some fish swam by Tubbo’s feet, the bottom of his submerged shoe getting again the smooth stone of the river base. Finally, the two boys made it to shore, allbeit wet and shivering slightly from the cold. 

“There it is, Tubbo. Our new home.” Tommy smiled, looking ahead of them as he readjusted his duffle bag across his shoulder. Tubbo copied his smile, the large house stood directly in front of them. 

The two boys reached the front door, standing there slightly shell shocked. Tubbo couldn’t believe it, they were actually here. They could get all the help they needed from this place, and could hopefully avoid any more large conflicts.

‘Well, do you wanna knock, or should I?” Tubbo offered, after standing at the doorstep for a solid couple of seconds. Tommy shrugged, eventually stepping forward and rapping his knuckles against the wooden door. 

There was some commotion from the inside of the house, as the owner made his way to check who was there. The door unlocked with a click, and it swung open quickly. The owner of the house looked around, confused, as though he weren’t expecting anyone.

“Hey man, long time no see.” Tommy grinned, as the man looked at them, his expression changing from confusion, to surprise, to relief, then to confusion again.

“Boys?” The man questioned incredulously, as though he couldn't believe what he was seeing. “What are you two doing here?”

Tubbo gave the man a polite wave. “Hey Phil, we were wondering if we could stay with you for a bit? We’ve got a lot to tell you about Wilbur and L’Manberg.”

Phil opened his mouth as if to say something, then looked over the boys. Their clothes were wet, and they looked like they had been walking for miles. Eventually, he let out a confused, quit laugh, before shaking his head in disbelief. 

“Come on in, boys, I’ll make some tea.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on tumblr, go follow me and shout at me! : https://www.tumblr.com/blog/nyx93  
> Also, this fic is all in good fun, so please don't harass me or anyone featured in this story!


End file.
